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Saturday, September 24, 2011

Today's email included a lengthy "look-up" request from someone who lives in Tel-Aviv. While Ol' Myrt rarely accepts research assignments, this gives me a chance to discuss how researchers may access records on Family History Library microfilm without visiting Salt Lake City in person.

CHECK ONLINE FIRST

Visit www.FamilySearch.org but don't rely solely on the "search by ancestor name" option. Last week FamilySearch added 16 million document images, yet typically only about a million are indexed per week. So be sure to scroll down the main page and click the desired region of the world to scroll through the title list of both browsable and indexed collections that may mention your ancestor.

Unfortunately, the FamilySearch digital records collections don't include the microfilm number in the title, but comparing the title and time period may lead to finding the document mentioning your ancestor. It was here that I found the following record collection that may be of interest to my reader from Tel-Aviv:

ORDER MICROFILM THOUGH A LOCAL FAMILY HISTORY CENTER WHENEVER POSSIBLE

In the case of Tel-Aviv, there is no local Family History Center, but there are over 4,500 throughout the world. Most microfilm and microfiche in the Family History Library Catalog can be borrowed at minimal cost to view at one's local center. Using this system, I managed to prepare for a trip to Germany back in 1995 by viewing all church records on film, freeing up more on-site research time for those localities where records were available only in original form.

Even though Mr. Myrt and I love to do on-site courthouse research, we look for record groups online first and then on microform. Our last resort is to ask the clerk of the court to pull a folio or record book. Since courthouse clerks are very busy with the current docket and have precious little time to hear our long ancestral quest stories, we make specific requests as succinctly as possible.

LOOK-UP REQUESTS AREN'T FREE

One cannot expect anyone to look at fifteen microfilms to solve a family history challenge without compensation. Value the time of a distant researcher and make arrangements to reimburse for time and expenses. Consider that in my case, while I have a home in the greater Salt Lake City area, it takes me about 45 minutes to drive each way, not to mention the cost of gasoline and parking. Alternately, I may pay for taking Trax, our high-speed rail system. Yes, there are some Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness folks, and others who will FindAGrave for you. But the request made by my DearREADER is time consuming and not a single quick look-up. Analysis isn't within the purview of a look-up volunteer who has not studied your previous research.

Let me share this marriage record research request in case there is a someone in Salt Lake City who will accept this contract for services with my DearREADER after communicating with lefrima@012.net.il directly to establish fees and a payment process. This is more than a look-up request, typically restricted
to one book or microfilm. In addition to an understanding of the marriage records of New York City and 20th century passenger arrival records, this requests involves experience with the location
Glusk, Russia and its various alternate names as it might be listed in a marriage license. Note: It is the marriage license application, not the marriage certificate or marriage return that's most likely to mention the age and birth place of the bride and possibly her full birth date and parents' name.

DearMYRTLE:I’d like to ask you
or some of your colleagues to look through 15 marriage certificates to
find out which one of the brides in Manhattan & Bronx in 1920-1927
by name Dora Friedman was born in 1896 in Glusk, Russia, father Mozes
(Moshe, Moisey) Friedman, mother Bathia (Basia) and came to the USA in
1913 as Dwoire Friedman, age 17.